Description

This fine route climbs up the center of the impressive face around and left from Imaginary Voyage and just left of a bolted route on the arete to the right (Lessons From Laeger 5.10b).

The climb offers steep, fun and positive climbing between hidden gear placements making for a guaranteed exciting time. Despite it's somewhat serious nature this is an excellent lead for those solid at the grade as the hard moves are always near a piece.

Great route name! I tried to find the route in 1997, but wasn't sure where on the face the route starts, left side or right side. The middle seemed kind of blank. In 2000, there was a new bolted route on the right side of the face that was probably 5.10, and actually a pretty nice route. I heard it's been chopped but they left the first bolt(?), which may protect the initial moves of Black Plastic Streetwalker? Any body have more details?

The bolted route to the right is called "Lessons From Laeger" (5.10b) FA: K. Daniels et al and has (had?) 4 bolts

My recollection of the climb (BPS) was to climb more or less straight-up the face. What's amazing is that just when you need it there's a hold and/or a gear placement. Excellent route for those comfortable at the grade.

On the FA, Lechlinski used a slung knob at the start and zero bolts on the pitch. It started right on the edge of the face, and moved up and right. The original rating was 5.9, and the name comes from all the fine ladies we would see while on freak tours in Hollywood. I think besides me, Banny Root and the Manx were there for the FA.

Was up there yesterday. After talking to Russ and looking at the Lechlinski FA pic, it appears to me that the "4 bolt route to the right" is not another route but actually a retro-bolt of BPS. There really isn't any further right to go from BPS without straddling the arete, and the FA pic is exactly the line where the bolts have appeared. The first bolt is clippable from blocks on the ledge and located just above the slung knob/horn visible in the FA pic. Second bolt is out near where he is standing in the pic. All 4 bolts are intact as of 12/5/06.

I'll go out and eyeball the routes again, but Black Plastic Streewalker (BPS) and Lessons From Laeger (LFL) are two separate routes in my mind. BPS climbs the middle of the seemingly "blank" face, and it's that very fact which makes it such a cool route.

LFL takes the face/arete right of BPS, and Kevin Daniels, who did the FA, would never bolt a pre-existing, documented route.

Go back and check again, I think the angle of the pic from the FA may be throwing you off.

Oh, and if this is 5.9+, then so is Clean and Jerk and Rubicon...talk about a sandbag!

when i headed out to the arete i had no idea i was on mike route. bummer, i would not have drilled if i knew. mike was and is one of my heroes ! that said if he did climb straight up the arete as i did OS and on lead he is a bad man.

help me out here guys, i dont pay these sites much attention. did i bolt mikes route ? if so i better make a phone call and russ get your tools out.

Ok, I finally hoofed it out and up there to check out just what is going on.

For sure, the route on the right arete is Black Plastic Streetwalker. About 20 feet to the LEFT of BPS is the route we always thought was Lessons From Laeger. BPS has been retrobolted as outlined in this thread. Easy mistake to make as the guidebook from BITD had the wrong route lines in place for these routes. Looking at the BPS I'm saying Kevin did a fine job with his version of the FA. I've posted a pic above showing the route and the bolt locations.

Whew, glad all that is cleared up, now go do it! It is a great and now well protected route!

No anchors on top, so you can sit in a horizontal wide crack or bring a few 1.5" to 3" cams for the various summit cracks.

EDIT: Chris: maybe you can clean up the description etc to reflect the actual route and the location, grade, etc. Thanks!